Counterpoised
by oldhokages
Summary: When he smiled he had a snaggle tooth. Ino mused that it was kind of cute in a weird, off kilter sort of way.


The world had gone off its axis, but it was still the world as they knew it so no one was that upset about it. Ino certainly didn't care. The only reason things were topsy turvy was because they had been celebrating.

They were celebrating because they won the war.

It was very eerie coming back. Despite the victory, they felt the loss. Her father, Shikamaru's, Neji. Not everyone came back at all, and some of those who did weren't the same people they had been when they deployed. But they were _alive. _

Ino burrowed in her blankets. This was her bed – with its low headboard and creaky springs and soft, soft, soft mattress. Or maybe her standards were just lower now. She couldn't be sure. Her head really hurt with what might be the makings of the most severe hangover she had ever experienced this side of her chuunin promotion. It was an enduring truth that the best way to verify one's livelihood was with copious amounts of alcohol and the liquor had _flowed_. Ino filled with shame. Her father would be rolling in his still fresh grave if he had seen her. It was all hazy at best, but she clearly recalled letting Kiba do shots out of her belly button.

How embarrassing.

"Good mor~ning!"

Ino's eyes snapped open.What.

"Uh... so, are you going to make breakfast, or... ?"

Oh god oh god oh god. She pulled her blankets to her chin and rolled over slowly.

"Excuse me?"

Suigetsu smiled at her and Ino was alarmed by the sheer number and state of his pointy, pointy teeth. Ino paled. This boy was one of Sasuke's friends who had followed the Uchiha home and was the only one of the team called Taka who had joined in on the impromptu party. Ino remembered meeting him the night before and asking him something lewd about his sword, but she couldn't recall much more than that. She blacked out.

Had... had she slept with him?

Oh _god._

She was naked and while that wasn't too unusual (she liked to sleep nude), Ino was suddenly hyper-aware of her situation. Nothing _felt_ sore like she would have expected, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Discreetly as she could manage, she lifted the covers and peaked at herself. There were some faint bruises on her breasts that made her wince. She couldn't imagine sustaining them had been exactly pleasurable, but then her past vanilla boyfriends had never gotten their teeth anywhere near her so again, she couldn't be sure. She peeped back at him, finding that he was propped on his elbow and looking on at her utterly bemused. At least he was partially clothed, dressed in a pair of pinstriped shorts.

"I guess that's a no about breakfast, then?"

Ino brought her blankets up until they were just beneath her nose and told herself to play it cool.

"Definite no."

He laughed. "Hungover then, blondie?"

"And you're not?"

"You'd have to be dehydrated to get a hangover," he said, "and alcohol just doesn't dry me out."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Sounds too good to be true."

"I am," he said suggestively. When he smiled he had a snaggle tooth.

Ino mused that it was kind of cute in a weird, off kilter sort of way.

"So..."

"So?"

"So you should probably go home."

Suigetsu just grinned at her. "Yeah, I probably should, huh?"

He rolled off her bed and stretched, scratching his stomach when he finished. He was well built, Ino realized, but what shinobi wasn't? She kept her eye on him as he retrieved his clothes from her floor, dressing himself quickly and efficiently. Clutching her blankets to her front, Ino sat up. Suigetsu yawned and ran his fingers through his tousled hair, smoothing it down. He snapped his belt closed and sighed.

"Bye," Ino prompted.

Suigetsu snorted and stepped towards the bed and Ino stiffened when he knelt on the edge. She held her blankets closer; the air suddenly felt cold on her back, and colder still when he reached out to trail his fingers across the exposed skin. It felt horribly intimate and Ino was certain that he remembered something she didn't and while that was humiliating, his smug expression was worse.

"Yeah, bye," he said, his face just inches from hers. Then he kissed her.

It was gentler than she expected, and she felt his stupid snaggle tooth between their lips. She tried not to be an active party, but found herself reciprocating his coaxing movements without much fuss. His nails dug at her back and Ino gasped. It felt like he was clawing at existing scratches. She pulled away sharply.

_"Nice."_

In her shock Ino had dropped her duvet, and now Suigetsu was very obviously enjoying the view. Ino blushed crimson, swiftly covering herself again while he sniggered out an amused_ did I do that?_

_"Bye,"_ she spat. She was mortified.

He was laughing his way out the door.


End file.
